If you’ve been to SUPER NINTENDO WORLD you’ve probably seen a lot of people sporting colorful, Super Mario-themed wristbands. Nope, those aren’t watches — they’re Power-Up Bands. And they’re the must-have accessory at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Power-Up Bands are not a requirement to enter, explore or play in the land. But they do bring your SUPER NINTENDO WORLD experience to the next level. In a world packed with interactive play, these colorful bands provide more ways to play in real life. Plus, they make an amazing take-home souvenir. Not only are Power-Up Bands adorable, but they also act as an amiibo which can be used with select Nintendo Switch games.
But let’s get into it, shall we? Here’s everything you need to know about Power-Up Bands at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD.
What is a Power-Up Band?
Power-Up Bands are silicone wristbands that allow for additional interactive play at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. Power-Up Bands come in six styles, each based on a different Super Mario character: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toad, and Yoshi. And, yes, they’re all adorable.
While each character band has its unique color scheme, all styles of Power-Up Bands operate identically. They’re also all the same size, and intuitively wrap around your wrist. Selecting your Power-Up Band is like picking your character in a video game — pick the band that speaks to you! Once you do, you’ll be placed on that character’s Team. (More on that later.)
Where can I get a Power-Up Band?
Every SUPER NINTENDO WORLD store at Universal CityWalk Hollywood and Universal Studios Hollywood sells Power-Up Bands. They cost about $40 each. These stores include:
- SUPER NINTENDO WORLD STORE at CityWalk
- Feature Presentation Store (Upper Lot)
- Universal Studio Store (Upper Lot)
- Character Shop (Lower Lot)
- 1-UP Factory (in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD)
- Power-Up Band Kiosk (in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD)
In short, Power-Up Bands aren’t hard to find at all.
How do I set up my Power-Up Band?
To get the maximum fun out of your Power-Up Band, you’ll need to download the official Universal Studios Hollywood app. Once you do, click the SUPER NINTENDO WORLD button on the grid on the home screen. This takes you into the SUPER NINTENDO WORLD hub.
Next, you’ll want to link your Power-Up Band to the app. Tap the pink “Options” tab on the bottom-right of the screen. Next, tap “Add Band.” Flip your Power-Up Band over — you’ll see a QR code. When prompted, scan that QR code. This will link your band to the app. Follow the app’s prompts from there to set up your account.
Now you’re all set to play in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD! Let’s-a go!
What do Power-Up Bands do at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD?
Key Challenges
Key Challenges are some of the most fun, interactive activities you can play in all of Universal Studios Hollywood. There are four Key Challenges in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD:
- Goomba Crazy Crank: Roll the Goomba away from you by cranking a wheel as fast as you can. It sounds simple, but you might tire out quick!
- Koopa Troopa POWer Punch: This one’s all about timing — hit a POW Block at the right moment to send the shell up the green pipe. The shell will then punch a POW Block above, taking down a Koopa Troopa. You only get three chances!
- Piranha Plant Nap Misha
mp: With the help of friends, get a Piranha Plant back to sleep by slamming a series of alarm clocks off. But be careful, they’ll turn back on again! - Thwomp Panel Panic: In this timed, multiplayer activity, your team needs to tap blue and yellow tiles to make a wall all one color before the Thwomp comes down and changes all the tile colors. This game moves fast, so stay on your toes!
Now, you can absolutely play all four Key Challenges without a Power-Up Band. But with one, you can collect Stamps (more on that below) and digital keys. Completing a Key Challenge earns you one key. (Makes sense, right?) Collect three keys and you get to play…
Bowser Jr. Shadow Showdown
This is maybe my favorite activity in all of SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, so don’t miss out on it! In this activity, your goal is to retrieve the Golden Mushroom from Bowser Jr. During the activity you’ll see a shadow version of yourself projected on the wall in front of you. Once the clock starts, you’ll jump to hit ? Blocks, duck to dodge Bullet Bills, throw fireballs, and swat Bob-ombs away — it’s a total blast.
But remember! You need three keys to play Bowser Jr. Shadow Showdown. And to collect keys, you need a Power-Up Band. So with that perk alone, the Power-Up Band brings the fun to the next level. But wait, there’s more!
Digital Coin Collection
The sound of collecting a digital coin in Super Mario video games is so satisfying — and you can hear it all over SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. The kinetic land is covered in yellow ? Blocks. Punch the bottom of the block with your fist to hear that iconic, brain-tickling chime.
Which is fun in and of itself. But only with a Power-Up Band can you actually collect those digital coins. When you punch your fist with the hand wearing the Power-Up Band against the bottom of the ? Blocks, your digital coins will go directly into your account on the Universal Studios Hollywood app.
Stamp Collection
If you love to explore every nook and cranny of a land like I do, collecting stamps at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD is a must. It’s what makes the land not just an experience, but a game unto itself. But what are SUPER NINTENDO WORLD stamps, exactly?
Some stamps are collected at a touch point — you discover them throughout the land and tap them with your Power-Up Band. Others are acquired by completing certain tasks, from digital coin collection to defeating Bowser Jr. stamps are each worth a certain number of coins, ranging from 15 to 300. Some are repeatable (e.g., meeting Princess Peach) and some are not (e.g., completing all four Key Challenges).
There are dozens of stamps to collect all over the land, and you can find them on the SUPER NINTENDO WORLD hub on your app. Tap around on the stamp pages on your app to see how you can earn them, and how many digital coins each is worth. Click the yellow block under your username to check them all out. They’re divided into three sections:
- Key Challenges: These stamps are associated with the four Key Challenges and Bowser Jr. Shadow Showdown.
- Mario Kart: Collect these stamps by discovering them in the Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge queue and by completing specific tasks within the ride itself. Make sure you sync your race by tapping your Power-Up Band to your steering wheel before the ride starts.
- SUPER NINTENDO WORLD: These stamps are found all over the parts of the land that aren’t attractions. SUPER NINTENDO WORLD is an incredibly immersive experience — collecting stamps is a great way to explore its countless nooks and crannies, including Toadstool Cafe. Punching bricks and ? Blocks also fall into this section.
There are so many stamps to collect, you can’t possibly snag ‘em all in just one visit to SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. (Plus, you can only collect certain stamps during certain times of the year.) That means you’ll just have to come back and keep the fun going!
Leaderboards
What’s the fun in collecting coins and stamps if you can’t see how many other guests have collected, right? Click the green “Rank” tab at the bottom of the SUPER NINTENDO WORLD hub on your app. There, you can swipe through rankings to see how other park guests have fared.
These include rankings for Daily, All Time, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge and Bowser Jr. Shadow Showdown coin collection. You can also see the ranking for Teams — you’re on the Team of the character whose Power-Up Band you’re using. The Team points refresh every hour.
If your friends and family have Power-Up Bands and are synced to the app, you can track their scores, too. Click back to the pink “Options” tab, then tap “Follow Players.” There, you can search players by their username, and add them to your app. To compare points, go back to the “Rank” tab. On each leaderboard, there’s a magnifying glass icon — click it, and you’ll only see the results of the users you follow.
BONUS: Power-Up Band amiibo
The Power-Up Band fun doesn’t stop once you leave the theme park — it’s also an amiibo! Amiibo are interactive collectibles that, when connected to your Nintendo Switch, can be used in various ways within select games. Each amiibo corresponds to the character associated with your Power-Up Band. For example, if you have a Toad Power-Up Band, you can use it as a Toad amiibo.
That’s everything you need to know about Power-Up Bands at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. Which character’s team are you on? Let us know in the comments below.